Sukkah

until the conclusion of the last day of the Festival, but if1 he expressed a condition about them,2 all depends on [the terms of] his condition?3 — No! It is possible [that the statement was made with reference to sheets] at the side [of the Sukkah].4 It was stated: The adornments of a Sukkah do not diminish [the height of] the Sukkah.5 R. Ashi said, But at the side, they do diminish [the size of a Sukkah].6 Minyamin, the servant of R. Ashi, had his shirt soaked in water, and he spread it out on their Sukkah. R. Ashi said to him, ‘Remove it, lest they say that it is permissible to use as a covering something which is susceptible to defilement’. ‘But [the other asked] can they not see that it is wet?’7 ‘I mean [the first answered] when it is dry’.8 It was stated: The adornments of a Sukkah9 which are removed four [handbreadths from the roof] R. Nahman declared valid,10 and R. Hisda and Rabbah son of R. Huna declare invalid.11 R. Hisda and Rabbah son of R. Huna once came to the house of the exilarch, and R. Nahman12 sheltered them in a Sukkah whose adornments were separated four handbreadths [from the roof]. They were silent and said not a word to him. Said he to them, ‘Have our Rabbis13 retracted their teaching’?14 -"We", they answered him, are on a religious errand,15 and [therefore] free from the obligation of the Sukkah’.16 Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel, It is permissible to sleep in a canopied bed in a Sukkah, even though it has a flat roof, provided it is not ten [handbreadths] high. 17 Come and hear: He who sleeps in a canopied bed in a Sukkah has not fulfilled his obligation?18 Here we are dealing with a case of one that was ten [handbreadths] high. It was objected: He who sleeps under the bed in a Sukkah has not fulfilled his obligation?19 — But, surely, Samuel has explained that [this refers to] a bed ten [handbreadths] high. Come and hear: OR IF HE SPREAD [A SHEET] OVER THE FRAME OF A FOUR-POST BED, [THE SUKKAH] IS INVALID? — There also it is a case where they are ten [handbreadths] high. But surely, it was not taught thus, for it has been taught, naklitin [means a frame with] two [poles], and kinofoth [means a frame with] four [poles]; if one spread a sheet over the frame of kinofoth it is invalid, if over naklitin, it is valid, provided that the naklitin are not ten [handbreadths] high above the bed. This implies that kinofoth [are invalid] even if they are less than ten [handbreadths high]? — Kinofoth are different, since they are permanent.20 But, behold the case of one Sukkah above another, which is also permanent; and Samuel nevertheless said, ‘As its validity so is its invalidity’?21 — I will explain: In the latter case, [when it is a question] of invalidating a Sukkah,22 [the upper one must be ten [handbreadths] high,23 but here, [where it is a question] of making a tent,24 even less than ten [handbreadths suffices] also to constitute a tent.25 R. Tahlifa b. Abimi said in the name of Samuel, He who sleeps naked in a canopied bed, may put his head out of the canopied bed and read the Shema’.26 It was objected: He who sleeps in a canopied bed naked may not put his head out of it and read the Shema’? — The latter refers to a case where [the canopy] was ten [handbreadths] high.27 This stands to reason also, since it was stated in the final clause: To what can it be compared? To a man standing naked in a house, in which case he may not put his head out of the window and read the Shema’. This is conclusive. of any of the objects mentioned. Unless the declaration is made at the proper time and in this form the objects assume the sanctity of the Sukkah and no subsequent declaration can remove it. Hisda's view? Sukkah-covering. be regarded as a valid tent unless they are ten handbreadths high. V. Ber. 24b and 25b. his head out of a window (because the greater part of his body is still in the room) so it is forbidden to read the Shema’ while the greater part of one's body remained in the canopied bed. A canopy that is lower than ten handbreadths is regarded as a covering or cloak.